I'll Find You
by Aurora Skye
Summary: Hilda's 14 and in love with Cheren when her Pokemon adventure begins. Yet even while loving Cheren and having her Pokemon by her side, Hilda feels empty... Until she meets N. She's not supposed to love N. After all, he's the king of Team Plasma. But when they're finally free to love each other, fate tears them apart. "If it's meant to be, you'll find each other in the end."
1. At The Beginning

A/N: For each chapter, I will choose a song that suits the events of the chapter. Most songs are based on my own personal opinion. I hope you enjoy both the music & the story! :3

(song: Drive - Vanessa Anne Hudgens)

* * *

_Finally, it's finally happening today_, thought Hilda.

Today was the day she would finally get her first Pokemon and officially become a Pokemon Trainer.

She was excited, of course, but even her blubbering excitement could not beat that of Bianca's. Bianca was hyper. She wouldn't stop talking about Pokemon and 'the adventure she'd always dreamed of' ever since Professor Juniper released the news that she, Cheren and Hilda were getting Pokemon.

Cheren, in the meantime, was his usual realist self. "Bianca, please," he told her when she wouldn't shut up, "It's about time we got Pokemon anyway. We're already 14; even the preschoolers at the Day Care near Striaton City have more advanced Pokemon than us!" Still, he couldn't feign disinterest - it wasn't visible, but after 10 years of growing up together, Hilda and Bianca knew he was just as excited as the both of them.

The package containing their Pokemon arrived that morning. Professor Juniper stopped by Hilda's house to drop the package containing our Pokemon. "This package contains the Pokemon that you, Cheren and Bianca will embark on your journey as a Trainer with. Be responsible, treat them with care, and most importantly, have fun! I'll be seeing you, Hilda." Professor Juniper winked as she handed Hilda the package and exited her house.

"Oh Hilda, I'm so excited for you!" Hilda's mother squealed, "Go bring the Pokemon upstairs. I'll go call Cheren and Bianca!"

Hilda made her way upstairs and set the package on the table. A few minutes later, Cheren arrived and entered her room.

"Yes! The Pokemon are finally here! But... Where's Bianca...?" Cheren asked.

Just then, Bianca came running upstairs, huffing and puffing. "Soooorry! Let's wait no longer, where's the Pokemon?"

Cheren sighed. "Bianca... You never change..."

"For the love of Arceus, Cheren, I said I was sorry!" Bianca replied.

"Bianca-" Cheren began. Sensing an argument stirring, Hilda interrupted Cheren. "Who cares? Now that everyone's here, let's get our Pokemon already!"

Cheren and Bianca looked at each other before looking at Hilda. "Sorry," they apologised in unison. Bianca broke the awkward silence that followed by saying, "Since this is Hilda's house, she gets the first pick!"

"Naturally," Cheren smirked.

Hilda shook her head. Cheren was so... His personality annoyed her so much sometimes, but she couldn't help it. She couldn't help how she felt about him. He was handsome. He was smart. He was practical and forward-thinking. He had big dreams and high aims. He was everything she wanted. Yet, despite feeling this way ever since the hormones started kicking in, she tended to question why she even liked him in the first place. The answer was always the same, stupid, weird answer - because she loved him, and love, for her, was accepting that person for whoever he or she was.

Hilda opened the package and took a look at the three Pokemon within it. After careful consideration, she finally decided on Oshawott, the Water-type Pokemon.

"Ooh, yours is so adorable, Hilda!" Bianca squealed, "But looks aren't everything! I pick this one, and Cheren can have that last one!"

"Why are you picking my Pokemon for me?" Cheren questioned, then sighed. "Never mind. I wanted Snivy from the start anyway."

"So it's settled! Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Bianca exclaimed as she ran downstairs, eager to begin her adventure. "Unova, get ready! Bianca, Cheren and Hilda of Nuvema Town are gonna hit you like a Hyper Beam!" Hilda and Cheren heard her shout to the sky from outside.

Hilda laughed as Cheren shook his head with an amused smile plastered across his face. "That Bianca..." he said, then turned to Hilda and continued, "I'll be on my way too. See you, Hilda!"

"Catch you later, Cheren," Hilda replied.

Hilda gathered her bag and Xtransceiver as she put on her cap and vest, along with her favourite black combat boots. She bade my mom farewell as she headed out the door.

The air had never felt fresher. The sunlight had never felt warmer, and Hilda had never felt happier and more liberated.

Unova. A region filled with beauty and surprises at every turn, with so many different people, and most of all, Pokemon! Hilda had never felt more enthusiastic and excited.

And this, was just the beginning.


	2. Who's That Boy?

(song: E.T. – Katy Perry)

Hilda exited Professor Juniper's lab, running her hands along the sleek, shiny new Pokedex she received from Professor Juniper. Cheren and Bianca received one each too, and the three of them were tasked to fill it to the best of their ability by seeing and catching Pokemon around Unova.

Just as Hilda was about to leave Nuvema Town, she heard a voice behind her. "WAIT UP!" yelled Bianca as she ran towards Hilda with Cheren maintaining a brisk pace behind her.

"What's wrong?" asked Hilda, taking a step back and facing Bianca. "Nothing… Just…" Bianca said between breaths, "We got our Pokemon together… So, we should take the first step of our adventure together! Huff… Puff…" Bianca panted.

Cheren concurred. "We may not end our adventure together, but let's begin it together," he said. Hilda nodded in agreement.

As the three of them stepped onto Route 1, they felt the strongest sense of liberation ever. "Yes!" exclaimed Bianca, "We finally did it! Our adventure's begun!" She looked happier than I'd ever known.

"Hey, since our adventure's begun, let's have a competition!" Cheren suggested, "The one who catches the most Pokemon by the end of this route wins!"

"On!" Bianca challenged as she sped on ahead.

Hilda smiled. Even though things felt very different now that they were practically grown up since setting out on their adventure, Bianca reminded her that not everything had to change.

Cheren took his time to examine and explore the area while Hilda walked on ahead. About an hour or two later, the three of them congregated at the end of Route 1, near the entrance to Accumula Town.

"Yes! I win!" Cheren exclaimed in victory. Bianca rolled her eyes while Hilda scrunched up her face. It was exactly this attitude that made her annoyed. The verbal expression of her annoyance was perched at the tip of her tongue, but she reminded myself. You love him, she reminded herself, Love is tolerance. Love is acceptance.

This side of her – the side that always reminded her of her morals and what seemed like the truth – annoyed her so much. She wished she could think of her ideals without feeling like guilty to a crime committed against herself.

Perhaps that's why she was so reserved. She didn't want to trouble others with this own personal war inside her head.

Besides, Hilda didn't mind. There was nothing at stake, and she was content with the two Pokemon on her team – Oshawott and Lillipup.

Just then, Hilda, Bianca and Cheren received a four-way call on their Xtransceivers. It was from Professor Juniper. "Hey kids!" she said on the line, "Come to the Pokemon Centre at Accumula Town! There's some stuff I want to introduce you too!"

After hanging up, Cheren looked at Bianca, and then locked eyes with Hilda. Hilda thought she felt her heart skip a beat in that moment. "We'd better get going. My Pokemon are exhausted," he said.

"So are mine," Hilda added, looking at Lillipup, who still kept on a bright face despite looking worn out.

"Let's go!" Bianca, as usual, took the lead as the three of them approached Accumula Town's Pokemon Centre.

While Bianca stayed behind with Professor Juniper to learn more of the features of the Pokemon Centre, Cheren and Hilda exited the Pokemon Centre a while later to face a strange sight.

"What the…" Cheren muttered in disbelief. A group of strange, orange-haired people clad in eccentric pale-blue-and-white suits stood in the plaza of Accumula Town, guarding an even weirder man with long green hair and a red patch over his eye. He wore a robe of strange, intricate designs. "My name… My name is Ghetsis," the man began.

He then launched into a speech on the liberation of Pokemon. The people of Accumula Town were left bewildered and confused after he concluded his speech.

"Liberation of Pokemon? That's crazy!" questioned an old man.

"What nonsense! I'm sure that was a prank or something!" exclaimed a young man.

"Then why did he have so many of those weirdly dressed people with him?" the old man asked back.

The young man rolled his eyes. "Miscreants."

Cheren and Hilda overheard their conversation and turned to face each other. "That's right… Maybe it was nothing more than a publicity stunt for some sort of radical campaign…" Cheren told her.

Hilda was about to reply when she heard a voice behind her. "Your Pokemon… They speak to me…" came the voice of a male adolescent.

Hilda turned around to face a teenage guy standing about a foot taller than her. Under his monochrome cap, he had long, tea green hair pulled back in a ponytail and the deepest blue-gray eyes Hilda had ever seen. Hilda's breath seemed to abandon her for a second upon locking eyes with him. There was something about this guy… Something unfathomable. An aura of something bad mixed with an overwhelming aura of guilty pleasure.

…_What is it? Why do I feel this way? _Hilda thought to herself.

_Could this be… No, it can't. I don't even know this guy's name!_

The silence between the mystery guy and Hilda was a few second short of awkwardness before Cheren broke it. "Her Pokemon speak to you? How odd," he gave the mystery guy a questionable glance.

"…You can't hear them? Oh my. Then why is it…" The mystery guy looked at Hilda's Oshawott, which was out of its Pokeball and standing next to Hilda, and continued, "Never mind. My name is N."

"Um… Okay… I'm Cheren. This is Hilda," Cheren introduced the both of them to N.

"Nice to meet you, Cheren and Hilda," N turned to Hilda and challenged, "I want to hear your Pokemon speak. I challenge you… To a battle!"

N only had a Purrloin with him. It was a breeze for Hilda's Oshawott. Hilda won the battle in the end.

N seemed both astonished and pleasantly surprised at the end of the battle. "There are Pokemon who say such things? Restrained to Pokeballs… In their imperfect state… They still say that?"

"Stop with your riddles! What are you talking about? Weirdo!" Cheren snapped.

"Cheren…" Hilda attempted to appease Cheren, but was stopped by N.

"I understand. After all, you can't understand or speak to Pokemon… It comes as no surprise," N calmly replied.

"Argh! What the… I'm done here. See you later, Hilda," Cheren left in a fury.

Hilda and N watched Cheren storm off, then turned to face each other. Hilda was about to ask N what her Pokemon said when he spoke up first. "Boy, your friend sure has a temper…" N muttered. "Well, I had fun with that battle. You have potential as an excellent trainer. I look forward to seeing you again," N bade Hilda farewell with an extraordinary glint in his misty eyes.

Hilda watched N leave as she headed towards the Pokemon Centre to prepare for the journey to Striaton City. Her face appeared straight, but the events inside her head were a world of difference away from her facial expression.

_That sparkle in his eyes… Did he sense that sensation I felt when we locked eyes? Does he really… Does he really look forward to seeing me again?_ Hilda wondered. She shook her head in frustration.

_Stop it, Hilda. That was nothing. Just your imagination. You are in love with Cheren. You barely know N. N is just a stranger._ Newer thoughts retaliated against previous ones in Hilda's mind.

Hilda left Accumula Town and headed towards Route 2, trying to fight and purge the thought of N from her mind. But her thoughts wouldn't let her.

_He's just a stranger… Or is he?_


End file.
